Alzheimer’s Is Taking Its Toll on Movie Poster Master Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan might just be one of the world’s most popular and recognizable artists. But instead of hanging up in, say, the Louvre, the Met, or MoMA, Struzan’s art has mainly appeared in movie theaters. More than just mere promotional pieces, though, his lavish posters for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, Harry Potter, Big Trouble in Little China, and Back to the Future — to name but a few — are works of art that make their films all the more special and iconic.
Sadly, Struzan has been living with Alzheimer’s for several years now, and this past March, his wife Dylan revealed the disease’s toll. Posting on Struzan’s Facebook page — which, by the way, overflows with examples of his work — she wrote:
For years, Drew and I have used the protocols that are supposed to, at the very least, arrest the forward momentum of the disease to no avail. His body has continued to decline. He is “still in there” as they say. It seems that specialized brains have an advantage as their knowledge is part of the structure of the brain, not just an add-on stored in the brain. Nevertheless, the loss of coordination of moving the information from the brain to a functional expression short-changes abilities. Drew can no longer paint or sign things for you. He is not enjoying a well-deserved retirement but rather fighting for his life.
[…]
Drew has left a strong legacy of love and joy in the form of his work. It has always been a love letter of sorts. His aim was to make the earth a better place in which to live by creating something beautiful. But like a flower, his season is ending.
In addition to movie posters, Struzan also created album artwork for a wide array of musicians that included The Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Roy Orbison. A documentary about Struzan titled Drew: The Man Behind the Poster was released in 2013. Directed by Erik Sharkey, the film featured interviews with Struzan as well as Alice Cooper, Guillermo del Toro, and Steven Spielberg. (It received only middling reviews, however.)
Given the changes in movie promotion, not to mention the rise of AI-generated art, I don’t think Brock Swinson is being too melodramatic when he writes that “Struzan’s battle with Alzheimer’s marks not just a personal tragedy, but the end of an artistic era.”